Articles

ARIJ Sustainable Planning Development

“A Tool to Promote Dialogue and Cooperation between Palestinians within the oPt & Arab Cities within 1948 borders”

Bethlehem, February 11, 2013— the Applied Research Institute Jerusalem |ARIJ| in cooperation with the Arab Center for Alternative Planning (ACAP) conducted a workshop to recruit the Palestinian working group from Bethlehem to share experiences, engage in dialogue on sustainable planning processes, and work together to develop a "Sustainable Planning Guidelines Document” along with Nazareth working group.

Nader Hrimat, Deputy Director General of ARIJ started the meeting highlighting the importance of such project and the fruits of cooperation that would narrow the gap by bridging between these two Arab localities, mainly as they share very close similarities in background.

The workshop was attended by representatives of local governmental and private institutions. It focused on the need to create a guideline for sustainable planning that reflects the right for spatial planning based on the concept of the right to city which contributes to the social justice. Participants were recruited into a working group of 10 people to carry out the task.

Hiyam Hazineh, a research associate at ARIJ, noted that the choosing of Bethlehem and Nazareth as study area comes due the similarities in challenges faced by the localities mentioned; “ displacement, land confiscation, private land ownership structure, and the historical and religious importance conceived in both areas are the common aspects found in the background of those localities” noted Hazineh on why those tow localities in particular where chosen for this 3 years project.

The overall objective of the project is to share experiences between professionals and experts in planning and development from Nazareth and Bethlehem, in addition, engage in dialogue on sustainable planning processes, and work together to develop a "Sustainable Planning Guidelines Document".